For the next month, Masia One will be taking time out from recording with Kops & Robbers to be back on the road touring for a cause she believes in: Girls Rights.  Having toured with The 411 in the past, Masia One will visiting 27 schools across Ontario answering questions and performing for the middle to high school students.  She would like to contribute in spreading the awareness of women and girls around the world tackling issues of body image of females in the media, violence against women and what girls around the world are doing to contribute to their communities and balance the scales of global gender inequality.  A press release is available below.

Summer 2009 Surabaya, Indonesia with teenagers from Pengeran

A Word from Masia One…

I had the opportunity to visit a PLAN COMMUNITY over the past summer while I was touring in SE Asia (and surfing in BALI) traveling to Surabaya, Indonesia.  The young people that met in Pengeran were so inspiring using plays they had written to express the issues they faced in their community, and allowing the performances to be a platform by which discussions could initiate and solutions could be developed.

A quick stint in Hollywood has me back in wonderful Ontario, working with Plan once again (in collaboration with The 411) starting a tour traveling up North to promote the “Because I Am a Girl” campaign.  I hope to meet many wonderful young ladies on this tour, and learn from them the issues they face growing up in Canada as a woman.  Moreover, I hope to share to the girls the privileged position they hold because they live in Canada, and inspire ambassador causes for young woman world wide and spread the word about what they learn.  20 million girls cannot go to school and as a result, 50% of the world’s women cannot read or write.  1 in 3 women will face abuse in her life time. One billion people live in extreme poverty – 70 per cent are women and girls.  These are alarming statistics and I hope to be ONE of the people contributing to the solution, both through my experiences and in my music.

For all you wonderful gyals I’ll be meeting across Ontario…can’t wait to get my left hand messy with black ink from signing too many autographs and sharing our HERstories.  One Love.

BIAG Campaign poster in TTC Subway

Because I Am A Girl: Press Release

Nov. 16, 2009. Toronto –Youth-led organization The 411 Initiative For Change (411), is teaming up with Plan Canada to present 411 TV: Because I Am A Girl, — a girls’ rights themed education program for schools across Ontario — in the format of a mock live-to-air TV Talk Show.

Canadian hip-hop artists Eternia and Masia One use their music and personal experiences to generate discussions on issues affecting girls in Canada and around the world. The show is hosted by CBC journalist Nana Aba Duncan, MTV Canada hosts Nicole Holness and Aliya-Jasmine Sovani, along with Diane Salema join the conversation through pre-taped segments to discuss their trips to visit girls in* Haiti, Colombia* and Sudan. This highly entertaining and candid program will reach 10,000 female students in Brampton, Mississauga, Brechin, Sudbury, Sault St. Marie, Thunder Bay, Dryden, Sioux Lookout, St. Thomas, Waterdown, Hamilton, Beamsville, St. Catharines, Sarnia, Windsor, Bowmanville, Oshawa, Toronto and Richmond Hill.

411 TV: Because I Am A Girl uses video, music and theatre to hear first-hand stories from young girls around the world about access to education, forced early marriage, violence against girls and women and self esteem.

This project is committed to portraying positive imagines of girls, to providing engaging stories and to offering real-lifetestimonies from girls around the world. Internationally, girls are making their voices heard, empowering themselves and inspiring others – one community at a time. The show airs stories of local heroes by highlighting both their struggles and successes in improving their lives and their communities.

“Young people get a lot of their information through television; we wanted to capitalize on this popular media through the creation of an innovative 411 branded TV talk show,” explains 411 President Sterling Downey. “We took a lot of inspiration from watching shows like The Hour, Oprahand Tyra Banks. We are honoured to be working with Plan Canada to incorporate their international content into the program. Through the wonders of new media, we can create the concept of live-to-air taping – with satellite feeds for guest interviews.”

411’s programming works to connect young Canadians to volunteering initiatives and resources in their communities and provides schools with meaningful opportunities for youth to continue learning about this critical issue. This program demonstrates that young Canadians are drivers of change and make a difference in the world.

Plan Canada is part of Plan, a global movement for change and one of the world’s oldest and largest international development agencies. Operating in more than 65 countries, and inclusive of all faiths and cultures, we mobilize millions of people to support social justice for children in the developing world. We promote gender equality in all of our work.

School Performance Dates:
Nov 13 – Dec 4, 2009 (9am and 1pm shows each day)
*Contact 411 for school names, addresses and exact times in each city

Contact: The 411 Initiative For Change
Email: tamara@whatsthe411.ca // whatsthe411.ca

Contact: Veritas Communications for Plan Canada
Email: modesto@veritascanada.com

This program is supported by: The Department of Canadian Heritage, The Ontario Trillium Foundation, Dose.ca, The Girl Effect, and MTV Canada

BECAUSE I AM A GIRL:
http://www.BecauseIAmAGirl.ca

The 411 INITIATIVE FOR CHANGE:
http:/www.Whatsthe411.ca

ARTIST INFO:

www.masiaone.com

www.myspace.com/Eternia

www.nanaabaduncan.com